The reports of the death of Social Democracy have been greatly exaggerated. The PES is back on the track of jobs and growth and calls for investing in European Youth

This week, we European Socialists and Democrats marked 40 years of the Helsinki Act, which facilitated dialogue between East and West and brought a certain security in Europe.

Over the last few days the PES has worked hard to tackle two very important issues. First of all the PES organised together with the Global Progressive Forum, the Socialist & Democrat Group in the European Parliament and the Arab Social Democratic Forum a conference on the refugee crisis in Beirut, Lebanon.

Dear friends,

I am writing to you today to tell you about the PES congress in Budapest. Just over a week ago we welcomed around a thousand people to the Hungarian capital, celebrating all that is good about the socialist and social democratic movements. We stood shoulder to shoulder with our Hungarian colleagues in their fight against Orban’s ‘illiberal democracy’ and with each other as we advance socialism and social democracy in Europe.

On behalf of all members of the Party of European Socialists I congratulate EP President Martin Schulz with the prestigious Charlemagne prize he has been awarded by the city of Aachen. To honour him for his strong commitment to strengthen EU values and the further integration.

“Je suis Charlie” – I am Charlie – is a message that has become hugely popular over the last days because it expresses in a few words the solidarity, but also the indignation and defiance, over the brutal attack on Charlie Hebdo. 12 people lost their lives, cowardly murdered for only one reason:  because a satirical magazine dared to voice a different perspective of the world. They were not revolutionaries – they were cartoonists, journalists, people whose only weapon was their sense of humour.

Dear friends,

First of all I would like to thank all who took part in the European elections between 22 and 25 May. To our voters: thanks for your support and for your trust. Our representatives will do their utmost during these 5 years to work towards a new Europe.

With 36 days, dear friends, until the European election, I would like to welcome you to our brand new website. With our Common Candidate for Commission President, Martin Schulz (www.martin-schulz.eu ), these European elections are very different. And I am very proud to say that with our new website things are also very different. For 6 months now, you, the PES family of party activists and volunteers, have, under the direction of our Member Partie, been working incredibly hard, all across Europe, to ‘knock the vote’ for Martin. You have put thousands of hours of volunteer work in and set up networks all across the continent to help us win these elections. This website is designed to highlight and register your great efforts.